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Detroit Lions need help at corner, safety: Here are their options in 2020 NFL draft

Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett takes a position-by-position look at the top prospects and biggest Detroit Lions needs in the 2020 NFL draft. This is the seventh in an eight-part series. Next up: Linebackers.

Lions' needs: The Lions shuffled the cards in their secondary this offseason, but on paper, the group isn’t much better than the one that gave up the most passing yards in the NFL in 2019. Both of last year’s starting outside corners, Darius Slay and Rashaan Melvin, are gone, and while Trufant takes over as the No. 1 cornerback, the Lions still have short- and long-term needs at the position. Coleman is best suited for the slot, and Roberts is more of a serviceable backup than he is a full-time starter. The Lions could land the best cornerback in the class, Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah, in the first round. If they trade out of the No. 3 pick or otherwise pass on Okudah, expect them to address the cornerback position on Day 2.

Things aren’t quite as bleak at safety. Walker is a rising star, if he can stay healthy, and Harmon, acquired in an offseason trade from the New England Patriots, is a ballhawk who should bring a stabilizing presence to the secondary. The Lions have high hopes for Harris, who they took in the third round last year, while Moore is a solid special teams player and Kearse has potential as a backup. The safety class isn’t quite as deep as the cornerback crop, but given all the dime and quarterback package they use, the Lions could make a depth play at the position in the mid or late rounds.

3. Detroit Lions: CB Jeff Okudah, Ohio State – I wanted to mock a trade here for the Lions, I really did. But Bob Quinn made a point several times in his pre-draft video conference to say it takes two to tango on draft day, which fortifies my belief that teams are hesitant to trade up for Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert. That doesn’t mean a trade won’t happen, but for now I’ve got the Lions making this pick. Paul Sancya, AP

5. Miami Dolphins: QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama – Tagovailoa is a huge roll of the dice, but by not surrendering picks in a trade up, it’s one the Dolphins are positioned to take. Jonathan Bachman, Getty Images

TRADE: 16. Las Vegas Raiders (from Falcons): WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama – The Raiders don’t have a second-round pick, but that can be fixed by trading down with their first of two picks in the first round. Butch Dill, Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

TRADE: 27. Indianapolis Colts (from Seahawks): QB Jordan Love, Utah State – They seem like as good a bet as any to trade up for Love, and the Seattle Seahawks, who own this pick, are just about guaranteed to trade down. Vasha Hunt, Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Draft dish: Okudah could join Denzel Ward, Jalen Ramsey and Patrick Peterson as the only cornerbacks to go in the top five since 2003. He’s an excellent press-man corner who fits the Lions’ system, and he has All-Pro potential. Henderson isn’t quite as physical as Okudah, but he might be a better athlete. He should come off the board in the teens, and there’s a gap between him and the next tier of corners. Terrell, who struggled in the national championship but played well the rest of the season, gets the nod as No. 3 on this list ahead of LSU’s Kristian Fulton, Utah’s Jaylon Johnson and Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, though all four should go late in Round 1 or early on Day 2. Virginia’s Bryce Hall would have cracked that group, too, if not for an October ankle injury.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 09: CJ Henderson #1 of the Florida Gators runs for yardage during the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)(Photo: Getty Images)

Lions general manager Bob Quinn said there are “some really undersized (defensive backs) that are really just great football players” in this draft, and that goes for both the cornerback and safety positions. The 5-foot-8 Robertson won’t go high but could be an excellent nickel defender in time. Winfield, the son of the former NFL player by the same name, is a probably top-50 pick despite standing just 5-9. He had seven interceptions last season and is one of the best playmakers in this class. McKinney and Delpit could sneak into the first round, and small-school safeties Kyle Dugger (Lenoir-Rhyne) and Jeremy Chinn (Southern Illinois) are potential Day 2 picks.

Among local products, Ojemudia, Cole and Metellus played in the Senior Bowl, and Hill and Scott could be drafted in the later rounds.